Every Second
by LydiaLuvsPretzels
Summary: Piper Swan is back in Forks after five years of being away. What she's most excited for? Seeing her cousin, Bella, and meeting her new family after her marriage a year ago. But something is different about Bella now, and there's something strange about the Cullens. And the Quileutes too. Why did Jacob freeze upon seeing her? JacobXOC / After BD / R
1. Arriving

_**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except mine! All rights for them go to Stephanie. **_

* * *

I hadn't been to Forks for almost five years. Since my mom married a guy named Shawn, and he hated Forks, we never went. But when the divorce papers went through last month, mom booked the closest flight, while giving us time to make, make arrangements and warn my Uncle Charlie. He would definitely need some warning, he hadn't had a roommate for a year.

But my mom was so happy to see her brother again. So was I, but I couldn't wait to see my cousin, Bella. She'd had a wedding last year and since it was held in Forks, we weren't allowed to go.

So he we were, driving from Port Angeles to Forks in the rental car my mom had bought, refusing to the point that I didn't think it possible, to drive around in Charlie's cruiser. And since Bella had gotten rid of her truck... Well my mom was fine with a rental car. So was I for that matter.

It was only when I saw the Welcome to Forks sign that my heart started to flutter and my stomach starting to flip in anticipation.

It was beautiful here, of course, I could never deny that to anyone. Everything was green: the trees, their trunks covered with moss, their branches hanging with a canopy of it, the ground covered with ferns. Even the air filtered down greenly through the leaves.

Green had always been my favourite colour.

Soon, we made it Charlie's, and parked next to the cruiser was a sleek black car with darkly tinted windows. Out of the corner of my eye I could see my mom gaping at it.

"Mom, close your mouth." I said and she did. "Whose _is_ that?" I asked as we slowly climbed out of our rental car.

"It just can't be Charlie's." She said.

"Well obviously." I said and somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew I shouldn't have said that to my mom. But hey, I'm only sixteen. I can get away with it.

My mom threw me a disapproving look my way, I smiled in return.

I pulled my large suitcase out of the trunk and began pulling it towards the house.

"Piper!"

I looked up to see who was calling my name and before I could even look up fully, I was pushed backwards with the force of the hug from the cold, brown haired stranger.

"Uh, hi...?" I said, causing the person to look up. "Oh, Bella! You gotta give me a chance to see you before you almost knock me to the ground. I am three years younger than you, and a lot weaker, remember." I explained. "You are nineteen, I am sixteen."

"Right, sorry." She backed up a step. "I just haven't seen you in years!"

"I know, Bells. Shawn didn't like it here, so we weren't allowed to come up here. Why'd you marry him again?" I asked my mom as she passed me.

"No clue," she said, getting to the stairs. "NO idea what I was even thinking."

"Aunt Catherine," Bella said, as if just realizing she was there.

"Great to see you, Bella. Congratulations on your marriage. Hopefully, it turns out better than mine." Mom said.

Bella laughed, "thank you. Edward and Jacob will be swinging by tomorrow morning."

"Edward is the one you married?" I asked, grabbing my suitcase again and pulling it towards the stairs.

"Yes." Bella agreed.

"Then who is Jacob?" I again asked as I struggled to pull my suitcase over the doorstep.

"Old friend. Do you remember Billy Black?"

"Vaguely. The name rings a bell. He liked to fish with Charlie, didn't he?"

"Yeah," she said, helping me with my suitcase. "Well do you remember his kids?"

"He had two daughters, didn't he?" I confirmed.

"Rachel and Rebecca." She nodded, "he also had a son named Jacob."

"Oh, right, right, right. They lived out on the La Push reservation, didn't they?"

She nodded agreement, pulling once more to get my suitcase up over the last step. "Yes, well Jacob and I have become fairly close since I moved back to Forks."

"Oh, alright. That's cool." I said, bringing my suitcase into her old room. "You won't be needing your room, will you?"

"No. I will just sleep on the couch tonight. Since I'll only be here for the night." She explained.

"Oh, alright." I said, a little dejected. I had hoped to spend a lot of time with my cousin while here.

"Don't worry, Pipes, I'll still see you a lot, just I won't be staying _here_."

"Okay... Well, I'm going to unpack. Meet you downstairs to start dinner in ten?"

"For sure." She agreed, our long standing agreement of cooking together, still in place.

She disappeared, and I - with a lot of effort - got my suitcase up onto the bed. I unzipped it and started gathering sections of clothes out so I could put them away in the dresser. After organizing everything just the way I liked it, I pulled out my personal items and started placing them around the room. We didn't have a set time we were leaving yet, mom said a month, but I didn't believe her, so I might as well make the place look as much like home as possible.

Then I, too, disappeared down the stairs to start cooking with Bella.


	2. Meeting

Laughter rang out from the backyard, and I prayed that Charlie or my mom didn't wake up because Bella and I were being too loud.

We were out back of Charlie's house, the forest acting as a natural fence and we were playing some sort of game where you had to tackle the other person. But avoid being tackled. And so far, I was winning. Though Bella had always been clumsy, she had suddenly grown out of it or maybe she hadn't been for quite a while now, I hadn't seen her for five years. It was sort of strange.

I creeped around behind Bella, careful to be extremely quiet. Then I jumped, and we both went falling to the ground. It was a cloudy day, but had yet to rain, so we were hoping to find some fun before we got confined indoors. Bella laughed as we hit the ground, seemingly unhurt by our fall, though my arm hurt where she'd landed on it with her shoulder.

"Gotcha!" I teased. "I win!" I spun in a circle, pumping my fists in the air in a sort of victory dance.

"Psh, whatever. You've always been too good at these games." Bella said, running a hand through her dark brown hair. I had always been jealous of her hair, it had always been this rich dark brown colour, while mine was just a typical, dirty-blonde. But Bella once told me she would trade anything to have my sky-blue eyes instead of her chocolate brown. So I guess we both had something the other desired.

I sat on the back porch, and Bella came to sit next to me. Right before she sat down, she stopped, excusing herself to the bathroom and telling me that she'd be right back. I didn't doubt that she would, where else did she have to go? So I leaned against the railing and watched the nature that was all around me, as if itching to just come closer, and I wanted to walk around through the forest. Who would stop me? Last time I was here I was eleven, and I sure as hell wouldn't have been allowed in the forest alone then, but I was sixteen now, and I could do things on my own. I could drive if I wanted to.

So I stood off the porch and walked into the forest, running my hands over the moss that grew on trees and rocks, over ferns that grew tall out of the ground and brushed across my jogging pants. I tucked my arms in across my chest to keep my hands warm, and kept walking. I don't know how long I'd been walking when I heard the voice.

"Excuse me?" I looked towards it, off to my right and spotted two guys. One was taller than the other and had skin as pale as Bella's, lanky, had bronze-coloured hair, and golden eyes. The other had russet coloured skin, was only slightly shorter than the other, had black hair, cropped about the same length as most guys, and dark brown eyes that bore into me like a magnet had attracted them. He was not wearing a shirt, and only a pair of dark green shorts.

"Yes?" I answered finally to the bronze haired one.

"Why are you out here alone?" He asked, and as I opened my voice to answer, my name was called from behind me.

"Piper!" I turned, and saw Bella approaching me.

"Hey, Bells." I said, feeling kinda guilty for ditching her.

"Edward!" She said, realizing the the guy who had spoken to me. "Jacob! What's wrong?" She asked the other, and Edward turned to him too. It was then he looked up into my eyes for only a moment and then at Bella, who was at my shoulder. But in that second, it was like he was staring into my soul.

"Nothing is wrong." He said, looking at Edward, and they shared some sort of message, then Edward looked at Bella and passed on the message, I assume. Then Bella looked at Jacob, then me, then back at Jacob, then back to me again.

"Piper, you shouldn't wander off into the forest alone." Bella addressed me.

"I'm not a child. I'm sixteen, I think I can handle a forest by myself." I told her, crossing my arms over my chest in a more dramatic way. "Gosh..." I mumbled.

Edward snickered. "She is a lot like you, Bella." He said.

Bella smiled at me. "Only in some ways, Edward." She said. "Piper, this is my husband, Edward. Edward, this is my cousin, Piper." She introduced us, and we shook hands.

"You have cold hands." I told him.

"Nice to meet you, Piper." Was all he said.

"Piper, this is Jacob Black. Jacob, this is my cousin, Piper." She introduced us, but I did pick up on how she had said the word cousin a little harsh and dark. Nonetheless, we still shook hands.

"You have really warm hands." I told him.

"And you don't." He said with a smirk. I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, whatever." I muttered, turning back to Bella. "I'm gonna go that way," I pointed behind the two boys. "I can handle myself, so don't follow me, okay?" I said, not waiting for an answer and I pushed between the two boys.

I walked through the trees, not really following any set path to any set destination, just walking forwards, curving around trees or rocks or large plants. There was something weird about how Jacob had stared at me, the way it was like he couldn't take his eyes off of me. The way that his eyes bore into me like he was unable to look away, which was weird. If he had some sort of disease that didn't allow him full control or his movements, that was different, but I feel that he didn't and he just didn't want to look away. Which was weird enough on its own.

But seriously, who stares at a girl that way - one who's name you do not even know - and doesn't look away till someone says something to you? Well, a psychopath would. He didn't seem like the kind of guy who would be crazy, is all. I hoped he wasn't, I could get over the staring at me thing, he was attractive whether he was crazy or not. Which was why I was so conflicted.

"Bella was right, you shouldn't be wandering around these forests alone." Said a voice behind me. I turned around quickly and it was just Jacob. Still had no shirt on, but I wasn't complaining.

"Oh really?" He nodded. "Then maybe you shouldn't be either, if you shouldn't wander around alone, that is." I said sarcastically, turning back around and continuing forward.

"Well I can protect myself." I cursed inwardly, of course he was following me. He was a psychopath.

"Then how do you know that I can't?" I asked without turning around, only knowing he was still following by the crunch of the ground beneath his feet.

"Because I just know." He answered and I rolled my eyes, stopping and turning back to him.

"Okay mister 'I just know', care to explain more?" I asked. He shook his head. I growled and turned my back to him, walking forward at an increased pace. I sucked in an annoyed breath when the crunch of forest floor beneath another pair of feet sounded behind me and kept up with me. Why wouldn't the psychopath follow me? "You know, I'm beginning to think that you may be a psychopath." I told him, stopping and turning to face him.

"I'm not a psychopath." He told me, sounding completely sure of himself.

"Oh really? Have you been tested?" I asked.

"Sure."

"Liar." I accused.

"Fine, I haven't. But don't you think that if I was a psychopath, I would have killed you by now?" He asked and I frowned, glaring at him.

"Fine." I agreed. "Then what will make you leave me alone?"

He thought about it for a second. "For how long?"

"What do you mean. 'for how long?'."

"I mean, how long do you want me to leave you alone? Exactly like I said." He explained as if it was perfectly obvious.

I stared at him, completely shocked for a moment. Then I closed my eyes and rubbed my temple. "Let's start with, forever." I said without opening my eyes.

"Not possible."

"Why?" I demanded, looking up at him again.

He shrugged. "Just a no-can-do."

"Hmm," I thought about another way. "As long as I'm in Forks." I said.

"How long are you here?"

"A month."

"Nope."

"Three weeks?" He shook his head. "Two weeks?" He shook his head again. "One week?"

"No-can-do."

"Five days?" Shake of the head. "Four days?" He shook his head. "Three days?"

"Nada."

"Two days?" I asked and he finally stopped to consider it.

"One and a half days." He bargained and I groaned.

"Fine-"

"And you have to let me walk you back to Charlie's."

I stared at him again. "Fine." I said through gritted teeth, my annoyance levels skyrocketing.

He smiled triumphantly and made sure I was by his side before leading the way back to my Uncle's house.


	3. Trying

The majority of the walk back to Charlie's was made in silence. Jacob tried to make conversation, but every time, I just glared and said nothing. So eventually, he just gave up. And I mean eventually as in, after about six unsuccessful attempts. Talk about annoying.

"Okay, here you are." Jacob said when we reached the edge of the forest behind Charlie's house and I glared at him once again, before storming angrily to the door and slamming it behind me, not saying a word to anyone as I passed, just heading straight to the stairs and to my room. Well, Bella's old room, I guess.

I slammed my door behind me and fell face first onto the bed. There was a knock on my door, a cautious one, so I knew it was my mom. "Go away, I wanna be alone!" I shouted and buried my head in the sheets again. There was nothing after that, only the start of the pounding rain, which came down quick and hard as if answering to my emotions.

As much as I hated it, as much as I tried to push it away, as much as I tried to think of something, anything else. I couldn't. My thoughts just kept drifting back to him. To his russet skin, the tattoo on his right shoulder, his black hair that just stuck out enough over his forehead that he had to style it up, his grin that, as much as I hated it, made my heart race, and the smirk that made it race too. The way that just knowing that he was there behind me or in front of me or beside me, or that he was just there, made me stomach get butterflies.

And the thing I hated worst of all was that I didn't hate it, and I didn't hate him.

But how he managed to get on every single nerve in my body, and still make it so I didn't hate him. That was out of my control or understanding. There had to be some reason that his face kept drifting in front of my eyes, why he kept trying even though I had made it perfectly clear that I hated him, when any other guy would have just backed off or not even been interested for that matter.

"Piper, it's lunch time!" I heard Bella yell up the stairs. I groaned and sat up, pit stopping at the bathroom to check to make sure my hair wasn't to crazy before making my way downstairs to grab what I could tell was grilled cheese by the smell wafting towards the stairs.

"Smells great, Bells. You should have come and asked me to help. We have an arrangement for a reason." I told her as I grabbed a plate and loaded two grilled cheese onto it.

"I did, but you told me to go away, that you wanted to be alone." She said and I looked up at her.

"That was you? I thought it was my mom, I'm sorry!" I exclaimed, as she opened the back door.

"Boys, its lunchtime!" She shouted out before turning back to me. "Its alright, Pipes, I know you are feeling upset."

"Alright... But next time, if it's our cooking arrangement, you be persistent, got it?" She nodded in agreement as I set my plate down on the table and grabbed a glass and poured some milk into it. Then I grabbed my plate and headed back upstairs. I didn't know who she was shouting to out back, but I had a feeling that I shouldn't stick around to find out.

So I ate at the desk, then when I finished, I fell forwards onto the bed again, and before I knew it, I had fallen asleep.


	4. Annoying

Time moved slow after Bella left that night. My mom had been talking with Charlie a lot, catching up on five years worth of stuff, and they didn't know it, but I had heard my mom telling him that she really wanted to move back home, she'd been away for so long and both of us loved it here. I couldn't agree more.

Most of what I did was wander around the house as the rain didn't stop once it started, it calmed or worsened, but never stopped entirely. So I was confined to the house, not really knowing where to go, my childhood friends all probably unaware of my return or forgotten about me. Not surprised, I'd been away a long time.

For my fist day after Bella left, I just stayed inside, and slept, ate and well, that's pretty much it. My mom went out and when she came back she had shopping bags in her hands, and she'd bought me a new rain jacket. I thanked her and hung it in my closet.

The next morning, I didn't wake up till ten. Then I layed in bed for an hour, contemplating whether or not to get up. When I finally did, I had a shower, and at eleven thirty, I made my way downstairs to get some lunch, or I guess right now it was technically brunch.

After finally finding something - eggs and french toast - I sat down at the table and began to eat at twelve ten. I've had a productive day so far, don't you think. I dropped my plate in the sink when I was down and headed back to the stairs. But as I was about to take the first step, there was a knock on the door. Content that it was just Bella, or maybe a door-to-door salesman, because even though they were rare, they did sometimes happen to stumble upon us, I went to answer the door.

"I got it!" I called to my mother and uncle before running a hand through my hair and opening the door. I smiled, hoping I seemed pleasant enough to whoever the stranger was, and looked up at the persons face - as I had to do with most people, being short sucked - and the smile instantly fell from my face. "What are you doing here?" I hissed.

"Part of our deal was that I leave you alone for a day and a half. No one said anything about after." He explained and I groaned.

"Why - exactly, have you not gotten the hint that you get on every single one of my nerves and that I do not like you." I told him, hoping he got it now that I'm laying it out for him.

"But you don't hate me?" He said, though phrased as question, it was not a question.

"Goodbye, Jacob." I closed the door but didn't hear a satisfying click, because a hiking boot was wedged between the door and the doorframe. One that belonged to a certain someone whose head I wanted to wedge between the door and the doorframe. "Move your foot-"

"What're you doing here, Jake?" I heard Charlie ask.

"I just swung by to say hi, but Piper seems to not want me here." Jacob told him. I glared at him menacingly, but he didn't flinch.

"Oh why not?" Charlie asked me.

"Because, Uncle Charlie, he is very annoying and I do not like annoying people." I informed him. "But, if Jake," I spat the nickname, "wants to be here, it's fine by me as long as he doesn't bother me, come near me, or come into my room where I will be for as long as he is here." I said, turning on my heel and walking up the stairs like a dignified human being.

"Well, come on in, Jake." I heard Charlie say as I walked away, using every ounce of my willpower not to storm, or slam the door. Because that would signal to everyone else my distaste for the boy. Him and his rotten good looks.

Ugh, I couldn't even insult him without it becoming a good thing!

I set up my laptop on the desk, and connected to the wifi which had gotten a lot better since I was last here, and went onto some of my usual sites, posting on my facebook about how I was in Forks with my mom and that we were staying with my uncle. Hopefully someone from town would see it and come say hi or something because I was practically dying of boredom by now.

Of course, there's the obvious thing to do about that...

No. Hanging out with Jacob was not an option.

There was a knock on my door, and I looked at it, contemplating the probability of who it could be. Not Charlie, that's a fact. It could be my mom, or it could be Jacob. Finally deciding that if it was my mother, she would be upset that I was taking so long to let her in... "Come in!" I called, hoping and praying that it was my mom, but not turning around, I switched from facebook to minesweeper.

"You have a nice room." I stopped my game right then and turned around, the glare already on my face.

"I thought I told you not to come into my room." I pointed out.

He pointed to the door. "You just told me to come in."

"I was considering the possibility that it was my mother." I growled.

"Then you should have asked who it was." He told me cockily, and I narrowed my eyes, turning back to my game.

"Don't sit on my bed." I snapped, knowing without looking that was what he was doing. I clicked on one of the squares, losing the game before I even had a chance to start. I cursed and restarted. I got farther this time, but still ended up losing.

"So, uh, what have you been doing?" He asked and I didn't answer, just cursed again and started a new game. "Are you going to answer or...?"

I threw a quick glare over my shoulder, then turned back to my game that I was determined to win. "I'll take that as a no..." He said and he sounded kind of dejected, and it made me feel almost guilty. But then I remembered that he was the same guy that I'd had to let walk me through the forest so he would leave me alone for a day and a half. "I'll just go..." He muttered and I heard the floor boards creaking under him. "I'm clearly not wanted here..."

"Well, you aren't. Remember that next time you come knocking on my door." I snapped.

"It technically isn't your door." He teased and my patience was beginning to wear very thin.

"And I'm technically not ready to punch you in the face." I snapped again, "I thought you were leaving?"

I got no response, just the sound of my bedroom door closing behind him. And when I turned to be sure that he was gone, my room was empty, and he was gone.


	5. Alternating

**Jacob's P.O.V**

* * *

I left Charlie's with only a quick goodbye to him and Piper's mother, Catherine. I left out the front, but darted into the forest and shifted as quickly as possible. Everyones thoughts flooded into my head.

_So? How did it go Jake?_ _-_ _Seth _

_She hates me. _

_She can't. The imprint won't allow it. - Sam _

_Well she does._ And I let them witness everything, the deal in the woods, walking her back and my most recent visit. _I told you._

_Jacob, she cannot hate you. The imprint goes both ways. - Sam _

_Sam, she does. You saw her. She glares or ignores me every time I try and talk to her. _

_She is rejecting it. It is uncommon, but not impossible. She will see eventually. - Sam _

_Yeah, whatever. _

I shifted back as I reached my own home, and walked inside. Dad was in the living room, on the phone. "Yeah, I would love to see Piper and Catherine." He was saying and my attention was immediately brought over to him by the sound of her name. He smiled at me knowingly. "Anytime in the next couple of hours, Charlie. There's a game on, and Sue Clearwater is coming over and bringing her kids." Seth and Leah were coming over? Oh, god.

As dad hung up the phone, he turned his attention back to the t.v. "So Charlie's coming over?" I asked innocently, opening one of the cupboards in the kitchen so it didn't seem like seeing Piper was all I cared about. It was, obviously, but I had to act as though it wasn't since she hated me. I could at least try and reject the imprint.

"Yes, and he's bringing his sister, Catherine and niece, Piper. You remember her don't you? When Catherine would bring Piper down, she would come fishing with Charlie and I. You and Piper used to sit in the mud and get absolutely filthy -"

"Dad, stop. Save it, I don't wanna hear about her." I said, turning and heading towards my room.

"Jacob, come here. What's wrong?" He asked, wheeling around to face me. I sighed, but complied. I sat down on the couch in front of him.

"I was walking with Edward to go see Bella, since she was going to greet her aunt and cousin who had arrived the day before and well... Edward spotted a girl in the woods, and he couldn't hear her, you know, it was just static, he said. And so we approached her, worried that she might be lost and it happened. I imprinted on her. Then Bella came running up, and it was Piper... I imprinted on Piper. But she hates me, she glares at me whenever I try and talk to her, the only way I was allowed to walk her safely back to Charlie's after she came wandering into the woods was if I agreed to leave her alone for a day and a half. Now every time I try and talk to her she either glares or ignores me." I explained.

"It will take time, Jacob. She doesn't know our world, about werewolves and vampires. Give her time and she will come around." He smiled at me and I stood. I walked to my bedroom but stopped at the doorway.

"Just, don't try and be cupid, dad." I asked, but he just smiled at me and turned back to his game. Oh god...

* * *

I opened my eyes at the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. I could feel it, she was hear. It was them.

"Jacob! Get the door!" My dad yelled and I stood, here goes nothing.

"Okay!" I shouted back and went to the door, opening it, thankful that Charlie was at the front of the group of three. "Hey, Charlie. Catherine, Piper." I greeted and she looked up and glared as if I dare speak her name. "Come in." I held the door for them all, and shut it behind them.

Charlie and Catherine went to the couch and sat with my dad, with Piper trailing behind, flipping through the pages of some book that I hadn't caught the title of. She sat in the corner of the couch, all curled up and looking adorable, with the book open on her lap. I went outside to get a breather, hoping that tonight her spirits would come around, and hoping that the Clearwater's would get here soon.

Then Seth came running out, his sandy-coloured fur running out of the trees, then turning and phasing back into a human, pulling his shorts on and a muscle shirt that had been tied to his leg, like I did. He waited for his sister and mother to come out of the trees before running up to the house and to me.

"Hey, man!" He said excitedly.

"Hey, Seth." I greeted, and he waited till Leah and Sue were at the steps to go running inside. At the same moment, the door opened, and Piper came out, book in hand, thumb between multiple pages, marking her spot.

Piper saw Leah and Sue first and smiled at them.

"You must be Catherine's daughter, Piper. I'm Sue Clearwater." Sue said, holding out her hand, which Piper shook. "This is my daughter, Leah, and I'm sure you saw my son, Seth, on the way outside." Piper shook Leah's hand and they exchanged a smile.

"Yeah, he seems like a really happy kid." She commented and Sue laughed. "That's certainly a good word to use when describing him." Then Sue disappeared inside, and Leah's gaze flicked to mine and then to Piper. Of course she had phased at that point. Piper turned, she glared and walked around the porch, disappearing around the side of the house.

"Oh you." She said before disappearing. Leah smirked.

"Looks like I'm not the only one who hates you." She said before following her mother inside.

"Haha, very funny." I threw at her, then followed Piper's path around the house, I saw her curled up against the railing and the house, her book open on her lap again. "Hey, what're you reading?" I asked.

She held the book up so I could see the title. Virals. Then she lowered it, all without saying a word or tearing her gaze away from the book. "What's it about?" I asked and she glared up at me.

"Why don't you read it and find out?" She growled and I sat down across from her. She looked up at me slowly. "Why are you so persistent? I've made it perfectly clear that I don't like you, at all. Any normal guy would have backed off by now. Why haven't you given up?" She asked, setting her book down, and she seemed genuinely concerned about my not giving up.

"I guess I'm not normal than." I told her and she rolled her eyes, the concern gone in an instant as she turned back to her book. "I haven't given up because I don't want to, and I'll have to keep trying till you stop pushing me away." I told her and that definitely made her look up.

She stared at me for a few seconds, but it dragged on. I was getting hopeful that she would just forget about hating me. "Go away. I'm trying to read." She spat, glaring again and looking down at her book, which was open in her lap still.

I tried.


	6. Disbelieving

Late one night, I finally set Seizure, the sequel to Virals, on the bedside table, halfway through and switched off my lamp. I layed back, and stared into the dark, letting my eyes adjust to the dark. My thoughts wandered, and I knew what - or rather who - they were wandering to even before his face appeared.

_"Why are you so persistent? I've made it perfectly clear that I don't like you, at all. Any normal guy would have backed off by now. Why haven't you given up?" I asked, honestly wondering why. _

_"I haven't given up because I don't want to, and I'll have to keep trying till you stop pushing me away." He said, and the serious tone he'd used at stuck in my brain, his voice echoing over and over. _

I haven't given up because I don't want to.

He hasn't given up because he doesn't want to.

But why doesn't he? That's the question that needs to be answered. Not why he hasn't given up. Why doesn't he want to give up? Sure, I'm flattered that he wants me so much that he's willing to not give up on it, but really, I have made my distaste for his very presence, very clear. I have out right told him, by now. But still, he persists.

_I haven't given up because I don't want to, and I'll have to keep trying till you stop pushing me away._ It repeated over and over again in my head, like a mantra, like it was a chant at a school football game. The kind of chants I felt like dying instead of listening to. But this one was different, it was coming from someone who was ready to never give up on me, like so many people did.

What aren't I getting in this situation? What part of the equation am I missing? What aren't I being told? Why was Bella so cold? Why was Edward so cold? Why was Jacob so warm? Why, when Jacob had told me it wasn't safe to wander through the forests, had he and Edward been walking through the forests, doing exactly what I'd been told not to do?

I threw the blanket off me in a sudden burning heat that was spreading through my body. I tossed the sheet off as well, swinging my legs off the bed and standing, walking over to the window that overlooked the front of the house, and throwing it open. The cold night air washed over me, cooling me instantly. I pushed the curtains back, I didn't need no scary, menacing, horror movie scene playing through my mind when the wind blew through the window and pushing on the curtains.

My eyes drifted towards the forest, where I saw a wolf, larger than a normal wolf, much larger, its fur a deep reddish brown. I watched it and couldn't seem to tear my eyes away from it. As I watched, it seemed to be watching the road, and surrounding area, for any other animal or person. Almost as if it was guarding the house.

Then it looked up, and it saw me, eyes connecting and I saw intelligence in its dark eyes, a curious thing for a wild animal, and it backed into the darkness, where it disappeared. I watched, hoping the beautiful animal would come back, but as goosebumps rose on my skin, I moved away from the window and towards the bed again. I layed down and pulled the covers over me, curling into a ball.

Sleep didn't take long, and the blackness, and peacefulness of sleep was welcomed to my exhausted body.

* * *

When I opened my eyes, bright light was shining down through the open window. I threw the covers off and crossed to the window, peering out into the forest, but there was no wolf. Maybe I had imagined it? Shaking off the thoughts of the animal, I grabbed a sweater and opened the door, shocked by the silence. It was Saturday, why was it so quiet.

I jogged down the stairs, and turned into the kitchen, picking up the note left on the refrigerator.

_Piper, gone fishing with Charlie and Billy, be back in time for dinner. - Mom _

Of course she was out fishing, she loved it. She hadn't gone out with the two probably since my childhood. I ripped the note off and dropped it in the garbage, and grabbed the box of double chocolate Krave - my absolute favourite cereal - and a bowl out of the cupboards. As I set them down and went to get the milk, the phone rang.

Confused, I grabbed it and answered without looking at the call display. "Hello?"

"Hi, can I speak to Piper?" Asked a male voice.

"This is she."

"Oh, well, hi. It's Jacob." I frowned.

"Hello, Jacob. What can I do for you?" I asked, hoping he caught the annoyance in my voice. It had been three glorious days since I had seen him last and it was fantastic.

"I just wanted to ask if there was, like," he coughed, "a sequel to Virals." He asked. Well now he had my attention.

"Yes, Seizure. Why?"

"Well, you did tell me to read it and find out what it was about, so I did. I finished it an hour ago." He explained.

"You actually read it?" I asked, "I've never had someone take me seriously when I told them that."

"Yeah, I read it. Couldn't put it down... I really liked Ben Blue. He reminded me sort of Paul before he started dating my sister. The description they gave, in my head anyways, he looks like a Quileute." Jacob told me and I smiled for the first time whenever he was involved.

"No, he's a Sewee indian. Just like his boat, remember?" I said. "I have the second one, if you want it. And there's also a third." I explained.

"But didn't they say that the Sewee went, like, extinct or something?" He asked.

"No, he claims to have ties to the Sewee indians. Tory doesn't believe it though, because of them disappearing." I continued.

"Right, so about the second and third... I would love them. Would you mind me swinging by to pick them up?"

"No, I've already read them so you can have them. I'm in the middle of Seizure right now, though."

"I can wait then..."

"Whatever, swing by or not. I've already read them." I restated.

"Alright. Bye then."

"Bye, Jake." I said, hanging up the phone.

Maybe he wasn't so bad after all...

* * *

**So, I'm gonna respond to the ten reviews I have when I post this. Sorry for it taking so long! I've been busy. **

**_Little Red Roses_: Thank you so much!**

**_CLee56_: Thank you! And yes, he did. **

**_Guest:_ I don't understand. **

**_Guest:_ I will, thank you!**

**_CLee56:_ Yes, she was. **

**_Little Red Roses_: Me too. **

**_I Love Being A Bookworm_: No, I actually posted the wrong chapter. **

**_Debbie Hicks_: Uh, I couldn't read all of it, kept getting lost and it was hard to follow, certainly interesting though. **

**_twin268_: If you keep reading, she starts acting nicer towards him, the pull of the imprint becoming too much. But if someone was following you and badgering you, I'm sure you'd be a little rude to them too. Jacob Black or not. **

**So there we are. **


	7. Changing

By the time there was a knock on the door, I'd gotten dressed, done my hair - and by that I mean a messy bun - and brushed my teeth, with the books sitting on the table. I opened the door, wearing a smile and keeping it this time when I saw Jacob.

"Come in, they're just on the table." I explained, turning to grab them while he shut the door behind him.

"Thanks again. I really enjoyed the book. It was... intriguing." He said, and I smiled at him.

"It's been one of my favourites for quite a few years." I told him, handing him Seizure.

He took the book and studied the cover for a moment. "Would you mind if I stayed for a while? I mean, you're smiling at me..."

"No, I mean, since you actually aren't annoying the living hell out of me today, you might as well. See how long it lasts, right?"

"Right..." He sounded almost... Shocked.

I walked towards the living room, doing a little twirl in the doorway because I could, and flopping down on my back on the couch. Jacob walked in after me, evidence of a previous laugh still on his face. He smiled when he caught me looking at him and I narrowed my eyes a little.

"What?" I demanded.

"You just- In the doorway, you twirled..." He sat down at the other end of the couch near my feet.

"So?" I asked, grabbing the remote of the coffee table.

"So, I didn't think you were the type of girl that twirled..."

"Oh please. I'm the type of girl that does whatever the hell she wants." I explained with a nod before turning on the television.

He laughed, but didn't comment, and I flipped through the channels, looking for something that looked good. As I flipped, out of the corner of my eye, I could see Jacob staring at me. I didn't say anything to him, just kind of watched him stare at me from my peripheral vision. It was weird. He was always trying to be nice, and...

_"I haven't given up because I don't want to, and I'll have to keep trying till you stop pushing me away."_

There was definitely something wrong with this boy. He couldn't be older than seventeen, no way. It was in his eyes and the way he acted, but his body seemed to disagree. His russet skin was smooth and blemish free, his muscles bulging under the skin, like a body-builder, or one that hadn't gone to far. Or maybe like those really fit celebrities that you always begged to keep their shirts of. Yeah, like that. And his dark brown eyes held secrets, and whenever they were on me, they were full of love, caring and something else that I couldn't quite be sure of. And his hair, his black hair that shone and just made me want to run my hand through it, but it was also badly cut. Very badly cut.

"Oh, I love this movie!" I said, my attention back on the t.v. Jacob turned his attention away from me and back to the t.v. I had chosen The Avengers. I was honestly in love with Marvel. Have been since I was thirteen, and though I could probably recite each and every line of this movie to you without it playing in front of me by now, I still never got sick of watching it.

"You like Marvel?" Jacob asked. I nodded.

"Oh yeah. Have for like, three years." I adjusted so I was facing the t.v more and caught a flicker of Jacob's eyes to me and back to the movie. "'When did you become an expert in thermonuclear astrophysics?' 'Last night.'" I recited with a laugh. We hadn't missed too much yet.

"How many times have you seen this movie?" Jacob asked. I thought about it.

"Well... That is a very good question, dear sir. I lost track after like, fifteen. That was still a month or so after the first time. This movie actually got me into Marvel." I explained.

"Seriously?" I nodded. "You're insane."

"Jury's out." I said with a smile. He rolled his eyes.

* * *

I didn't even hear the door open, or close, or the sound of everyone putting their fishing stuff away. I was deep in argument. With Jacob. Whom I was starting to hate less and less.

"No! He's just misunderstood!" I argued.

"Oh yes, killing millions of people and trying to take over Earth is misunderstood!" Jake argued back.

"Well maybe if Odin had thought of telling Loki as a child that he was adopted and that he was really a Jotunn, there wouldn't be the whole 'world domination' problem!"

"It wouldn't be there if Odin had given Loki back to the Jotunn's either."

"They would have killed him! How could you say such a thing?" I asked.

"Because it's true! They wouldn't have killed him." He reasoned.

"But then we wouldn't have all these kickass movies!"

"True, but there are other plots that they could have gone with!"

"Oh yeah?" I asked, he nodded. "Name three."

He frowned and I smiled, I had won this challenge.

"What's going on in here?" We both turned to the doorway where Charlie was standing, flanked by my mother.

"Well," I started. "Jacob came over to pick up a book-"

"-Then I asked if I could stay a while-"

"-And so I put on the television and I found The Avengers on-"

"-So we started watching it, and she said how she loved Loki-"

"-And an argument broke out. All in good spirit though." I finally finished.

My mother and uncle exchanged a shocked and surprised look. They looked back at us, sitting on the couch. I was sitting on my knees, leaning forward on my hands, and Jake was sitting cross-legged, lounging back against the arm of the couch. My mother smiled at me, and Charlie looked at us both quizzically.

"What?" I demanded. "Is there something wrong with good-hearted banter?"

My mother snickered. "Darling, you were both shouting." I knitted my eyebrows together in confusion and my eyes flicked to Jake. No we weren't. He didn't seem to be able to believe it either.

"No we weren't." I repeated aloud.

"Yes, darling, you were. We could hear you as soon as we stepped out of the car." She was fighting back laughter. I hadn't been close with a guy since... No, let's not go there.

"No you couldn't." I argued.

"Yes, we could. Am I right, Charlie?" She asked, turning to him.

"I'm afraid so, Pipes." He said. Charlie wouldn't lie on the spot like that.

"Liars." I hissed, standing, and walking to my room upstairs.

There was a cautious knock on my door. "If its you, mom, go away!" I yelled and I heard the door creak open. I was laying on my stomach, and my head was buried in my pillow. I looked up. "I swear to-" I stopped. It was Jake. I put my head back in the pillow.

I felt a scorching hand on my arm, and it was only then that I realized I was freezing. "Are you alright?"

"No." I snapped. He didn't recoil as so many usually did. He just started rubbing my arm and I started calming down slowly.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"My mom, she thinks that... Well, she's assuming that because..." I stopped. "She thinks that because we were acting like normal people, you're going to replace Simon!" I blurted and cringed at his name.

He didn't say anything at first, but just continued to rub my arm. "Who was... Simon?"

"He was a guy that I'd known my whole life." I told him, not moving my head out of the pillow. "And..." I paused, taking a deep breath, Jake's hand went to my back, rubbing it instead of my arm. "And last year we got in an argument. It was our first argument. The next morning, I went to his house since he was ignoring my calls, to apologize. When I got inside, I went to his room. He was dead... He'd killed himself..." I let out a sob that I had been holding in. "There was no note... So I don't know if it was our argument that had caused it, or if it was something else... But I haven't had a friend since." I explained, tears pouring down my cheeks, and sobbing as Jake soothed me.

I don't know how, but I somehow found myself in his arms, sobbing into his shoulder. I hadn't meant to do this, but I couldn't really stop it. Now I knew that the only way I could ever hate him again was if he did something extremely drastic. And I doubted he would. No more forcing myself to hate him. I would accept his friendship, and I would forget about Simon for a while, and have a friend, have a life. I deserved as much, Simon for sure wouldn't want me to stop talking to people and to become a recluse. No, no he wouldn't want that.


	8. Visiting

My knuckles turned white as I grabbed the edge of the toilet, heaving into it. I had - and still am - been violently sick since Jake left. It had gotten worse to the point where I hadn't been able to eat anything without heaving it into the toilet. When I was done dry heaving into the toilet, I stood and took a swish of water, spitting it into the sink and repeating, desperate to get the tiny remaining chunks out of my mouth. When I felt confident that there was none left, I grabbed the mouthwash and used it to clean out my mouth once more and to freshen my breath.

As I stood and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror above the sink and sighed, my skin was a noticeable shade lighter than my usual deep tan, and a thin sheen of sweat covering my body. I had bags under my eyes from sleepless nights that I had been kept up vomiting. And my hair was filthy, I hadn't showered in at least four days. In summary, I was disgusting. And sick.

But I had to do this, I was trying to be a nice person, so I had to drop Seizure of at Jake's since he had forgotten it here. I pulled my long hair back off my face into a messy bun and grabbed my rain jacket, pulling the deep hood over my head and tucking the book under my jacket as I ran to the car. I shed the jacket as I tossed the book to the passenger seat and starting the car, backing out of Charlie's driveway.

I made the trip to La Push in silence, my head pounding every time I turned on the radio. So I let the peaceful silence soothe my mind and body the closer I got to the small house. Pulling into the dirt drive of Jake's small home, I pulled my rain jacket back on and tucked the book beneath it once again. Then I stole my nerves, ran out into the pouring rain and knocked on the door. I heard shouting from inside that was drowned out by the heavy pound of rain.

Jake answered the door, not to my surprise. He didn't see anyone at first, then looked down and saw me, smiling out from underneath my hood. He ushered me in without a seconds hesitation. "Piper, what are you doing here?" He asked, helping me out of my jacket.

"You forgot this at my house." I handed him the book. "I would have brought it sooner, but I've been really sick." That got his attention. He grabbed my face, only realizing then how bad I looked.

"You've been sick? Are you alright? Why didn't you tell me?" He demanded and I laughed.

"Yes I have. I'm fine now, I'm already feeling better. I didn't tell you because I didn't think you wanted to know." I said and went to grab my jacket.

"Of course I'd want to know, if you've been sick..." He said, trailing off as he noticed that I was grabbing my jacket. "What are you doing?"

"Getting my jacket."

"Why?"

"So I can go back to the car without getting soaked..." I told him, as if it was obvious. Which it was.

"Stay."

"Jake, I-"

"Come on, I can't let you go back out there. And I don't think you want to."

"Well no," I argued. "But-"

"Then stay." I looked up at him, and saw pure determination on his face and in his eyes, along with that unknown emotion from the other day.

"Fine, but only till the rain lets up." I said and he smiled.

So we sat down on the couch and talked, watched the television for a while, and somehow, I found myself not wanting to leave. I wanted to stay here with Jake and do... God knows what, as long as I was with him. And it was like this with Simon, too. I had felt inexplainably drawn to both boys, and maybe they shared a few traits. But whatever it was, I wasn't really thinking of Simon right now. Just being here with Jake, and even when the rain lightened up, I didn't mention leaving, nor did Jake. We just, ignored the rain, I guess.

But it wasn't till my phone went off in my pocket that I had to excuse myself. "Hello?" I answered.

"Piper! Where are you? Charlie and I got back to the house and the car was gone, you weren't there..." Oh, it was my mother.

"Don't worry, mom. I'm just at Jake's. I went to drop something off at his house and decided to stay." I explained. "No need to worry, mom."

I heard her sigh. "Darling, next time, please leave a note. I was so scared."

"Scared? Mom, what would have happened, logically?"

"I am you mother, I can worry if I want. When are you coming back?" She asked.

"Uh..." I looked over at Jake. "I don't know."

"Then be home by ten."

"Okay-" She was gone. She had hung up on me. "Alright then..." I muttered to myself, turning back to Jake. "So my mother said I have to be home by ten. At the latest." I added when his eyebrows shot up.

He nodded and stood to walk over to me. "So you want to stay then?" He asked, and he was unbelievably close. I could practically feel the scorching heat radiating off of him, even through the shirt he was wearing. Fuck, I swore to myself. Did he really have to be so attractive?

"Yeah, I might as well. I've been cooped up, vomiting my brains out in that house for the last three days. I'd prefer not to go back so quickly..." I said, breathing in deeply. All I smelled was woods and pine. It took my a minute to regain myself.

"That's great." He smiled. He was so close, his hand was hovering over my waist, unsure of whether to rest it there, and his face was so, so close. I could feel the intensity, the tension, that was growing between us as every second passed.

"Jacob! Is there a game on tonight?" Billy Black wheeled in, and before he could suspect anything, Jacob was gone, his intoxicating scent gone, the only remnants fading fast.

"I don't know, dad." Jacob answered, rubbing the back of his neck. "Call Charlie, he'd know."

Billy agreed and wheeled back to his room, and I looked at the ground. "Are you hungry?" I asked.

"Huh?" Jacob turned his eyes to me.

"I asked if you were hungry... 'Cause I could cook something. I usually cook at home..." I said, looking back up at him.

"Uh, sure." He agreed. The silence as I cooked him some Kraft Dinner was unbelievably awkward.

We had almost kissed, and then his dad had interrupted us and shattered the moment. That's right, it was more than ruined, it was more than broken. It had shattered into a million, unfixable pieces. The awkwardness of that situation was unbelievably high, and I wish I could break it. But how?

I asked Jake if he would get some bowls and forks out, and I scooped the finished KD into the bowls, dishing more out for him, leaving only a little in my own bowl. I was still a little afraid that I would throw it up, and I knew that would only make our situation more awkward.

Seconds after we had settled down to eat, Billy reappeared, telling us that the game was on the day after today, and that he had already made arrangements with Charlie they would go there. So he had interrupted our almost kiss for absolutely nothing. Add that to the awkwardness between us. Just stack it on up there.

When we finished eating, Jake took our dishes and put them in the sink. I got a text from my mother during the short time Jake was gone. If I wanted to make it home on time, I should leave now. She was right, of course. So I stood and went to get my jacket. Jake was there as I pulled it on and zipped it up.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"If I want to make it home for ten, I should leave now. But I'll see you in a day, or earlier no doubt. I mean, you two are coming over for the game... But, yeah. I should go." I smiled and darted out into the light rain, getting into the car and starting it, backing away from Jake, and the awkwardness. As soon as I was out of sight, I pushed down hard on the gas pedal, wanting to get as far away as I could as fast as I could.

I veered onto a side road as a wave of nausea hit me, jumping out of the car and vomiting on the side of the road. As soon as I had emptied the contents of my stomach onto the side of the road, I wiped my mouth with my hand, and crouched there, on my hands and knees, panting for a while.

My legs and arms trembled from over exhaustion and the energy I'd just lost from throwing up anything I had put in my stomach in the last, well, while. They gave out and I tumbled over into the grass and was barely aware of tumbling down into a ditch and away from my car. There was a dull pain in my side and I was vaguely aware of a sticky feeling where my arm was resting against the sore spot on my side.

My entire vision was blurry and it was taking a conscious effort to keep myself awake. I knew it was probably a bad idea to give in and slip away, but how persistent the feeling was, and how great it would be to be released from the pain that was growing in my side. Should I give in? No, probably not. Will I give in? Yes, absolutely, yes.

And then the blackness blurred at the edges of my vision and slowly moved inwards, numbing the pain away and overtaking everything.

The world went black, and I slipped into oblivion.


	9. Confusing

The blackness began to evaporate, and I was aware of a weightless feeling. Like I was being carried by someone a lot stronger than me. I groaned, shifting in the arms of the man whom was carrying me. I knew it was a man by the way his chest felt. That, or it was a very flat-chested woman.

The man stopped, and my eyes fluttered open and all I could make out in the extreme darkness was a pair of blood-red eyes with ghostly pale skin that reminded me of someone whose name I just couldn't seem to conjure out of my mind. The trees loomed tall and ominous around us as I was carried.

"Who..." I sucked in a breath. "Are you?" I finished.

"You will learn my name later on." Said the thick British accent that belonged to red eyes.

I groaned again. "My side..." I murmured.

Red eyes said nothing. My head lolled back and my eyes closed like I was sleepy. I didn't realize that we'd stopped till I was being lifted up and hot breath washed over my neck and then down my body to my side where I was sure that I was bleeding, or had been. I tried to squirm away, but his grip was like iron and I couldn't move away. I moaned in discomfort and still tried to move away.

Then what felt like teeth clenched down on my wound and I screamed in pain, my mind awakening with the pain and my efforts being reinvigorated in trying to get away from red eyes. I felt the blood leaving my fingertips as they went numb, and the same for my toes.

The forest floor greeted me rather unkindly, and the loss of feeling in my extremities gave me the feeling of loss of blood from my wound as well. It could have been from while I had been in the black abyss, but I highly doubted that was it, though. There were some very crude sounds, then the rushing of wind against leaves and foliage at a very high speed.

Blackness was threatening to overthrow me again, and I was all for letting it, as the pain in my side was worse now than ever. I saw one thing before I let the blackness win.

Bella's ghostly pale face, and her eyes were a dark golden.

* * *

I blinked open my eyes and it was blindingly white, everywhere.

It was a hospital. I could tell, not only by the reek of antibiotics, but the white. Hospitals were always white. What reason was behind that was beyond me, though.

Turning my head, I saw an empty chair and a curtain drawn around me. I looked down at my arm and there were two needles stuck in it. One had a white liquid flowing through it, the other a deep red. I had an IV and blood bag. Had I really lost that much blood?

Well, I reasoned with myself, you did begin to lose feeling in your extremities... Right, right. The man with the red eyes had been carrying me. Then when he stopped, he had breathed hot air on my neck and all the way to my wound, where he had latched on and began to, what? Drink my blood? What, was he a vampire? Were there vampires in Forks? Impossible.

But what else could have happened? Logically, that is, what else could he have been doing? Other than the obvious, what reason would a person have for attaching their mouth onto a bleeding wound. At the memory of the wound, I could feel a dull pain on my right side, where I must have landed on a branch or something when I fell into the ditch.

The curtain was yanked back to reveal a doctor in the standard issue white overcoat. He had blond hair and his eyes were a light golden colour. A lighter version of Bella's.

"Ah, Miss Swan, how are you feeling? I'm Dr. Cullen." The blond doctor told me, pulling the curtain shut behind him.

"A little groggy, if I'm being totally honest." I told him.

"Well, being totally honest would be a great option for you right now. What do you remember from last night?" He asked.

I thought about it, then told him everything. Starting at leaving Jake's house. The nausea, falling into the ditch after vomiting up the KD, the black abyss, red eyes, blood drinking and finally, Bella.

"Golden eyes?" Dr. Cullen asked, as if the idea sounded totally implausible.

"Yeah, not like yours, they were a darker colour. But Bella has brown eyes, everyone knows that." I explained.

"Hmm." Dr. Cullen scribbled something down on his clipboard and smiled at me. "You're family is here to see you. Please, I cannot stress enough how important it is that you not rip your stitches or strain yourself. You were lucky that you landed the way you did on that branch, if it had been not a full centimetre left, it could have punctured an artery and you could have bled to death in minutes." Dr. Cullen smiled again and pulled back the curtain, allowing my mother and Charlie in and stepping out himself.

I held to my mother when she hugged me tightly, my tears leaking onto her shirt. She squeezed back, and I could feel her own tears on my shoulder.

"Oh, Piper, you had me so worried." My mom cried.

"I know, mom. I know." I muttered into her shoulder.

We were like that for another good five minutes. Holding each other. Then she moved back so I could see Charlie.

"You had us worried, kid. Don't do that stuff okay?" Charlie told me, trying to use his serious I'm-the-sheriff voice, but concern for my well-being had creeped into his voice and it wasn't as intimidating.

"It isn't like I did it on purpose..." I mumbled, rolling my eyes.

I told them all about what had happened, but before I could mention Bella, she appeared in the gap in the curtain.

"Hey," she put a hand on my shoulder, I looked up at her. "Can we have a moment?" She asked my mother and Charlie. They nodded and stepped out, closing the curtain behind them.

"Hey, Bells. Thanks for saving me from red-eyes. Talk about crazy contacts, right. And yours, they were dark golden, what was that about?" I asked, noting her eyes were their usual brown again.

"Must have been losing all that blood, Pipes. I certainly didn't have golden eyes, and that guy certainly didn't have red eyes." She informed me.

"But what about him, like, drinking my blood or whatever he did? That was weird. You have to admit that." I said.

"Yeah, that was weird. Must be some weird fetish, or something." She shrugged and moved back to the curtain. "Hey, when Carlisle finally lets you out of here, make sure to stop by my place for a visit. You've never met Edward's family. There'll be some things we want to tell you."

What? "Why can't you tell me now?" I questioned.

"Oh, and before I forget, call Jacob, okay? I'm sure he's really worried about you, Pipes."

"Of course." I assured her. I hadn't even thought of Jake. "I'll do that right away."

She smiled and left. My mother and Charlie didn't come back in, so I assumed they were in the food court and it was safe to make a call. I looked around, carefully, trying not to strain my side to much. When I spotted my cell phone on the table next to the hospital bed, I maneuvered carefully to grab it.

I dialled the number, not even sure how I knew it, and waited, for a painfully long time, for someone in the Black household to pick up the phone. Come on, come on, come on! I begged the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hi. Can I speak to Jacob?" I asked.

"May I ask who this is?" Come on, Billy, just let me talk to him!

"Piper Riley." I said.

"Oh, of course you can talk to Jake. Why didn't you just say it was you." Really? Seriously?

I heard Billy yell for Jake, then Jake ask what he wanted.

"Hello?" Ah, the subtle 'just take the phone while I don't say anything' method.

"Hi, Jake. It's Piper."

"Piper?"

"Yeah."

"Where've you been? What happened? Are you alright?" He asked.

"I-I don't know what happened, all I know is that I felt sick last night after I left your place and so I pulled into a side road so I could vomit on the side of the road, then I was was really weak and collapsed, rolled down into a ditch and managed to get a stick stuck in my side, then I blacked out. The next thing I remember is this guy with a British accent and red eyes carrying me. Then he starts sucking blood from my wound, weird right, and then I'm on the forest floor, Bella's face pops into view, and poof, I'm in the hospital." I explained, hoping that I had covered it all.

He was silent for a moment. "Are you alright?"

"Not really, no. I'm kind of traumatized." I explained. "Who wouldn't be, though. Some creepy dude with red eyes tried to suck my blood. Well, not tried, he was very much successful. Did I mention Bella had these dark golden eyes? And not to mention she denies having them." I stopped, aware I was rambling.

"I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

Then he was gone. And I couldn't tell him that he didn't really need to come over. But I wanted him to. I wanted to be crushed against his perfect chest while he comforted me, and... That's all I wanted, really.


	10. Inviting

I waited on my hospital bed, hands shaking while I waited for Jake to get here. It felt like I was waiting for an eternity before I heard the rushed footsteps outside that got closer and closer to the curtain that gave me a sense of privacy. Then the curtain was yanked back almost violently, and there he stood. Jake. The guy whom I hated so much, the one that cares so much about me that he didn't want me to walk through the forest alone. His deep tan, glorious black hair perfectly sculpted muscles that were barely hidden under his muscle shirt and shorts. Then he was in front of me and I was wrapped in his warm embrace, and he didn't let go. Not that I wanted him to.

"Oh, my god, Piper are you alright?"

I nodded against his chest. "Better now..."

He didn't reply. He just held me tighter. A few stray tears leaked down my cheeks. Jake pulled me away to look at him, he wiped the tears away and cupped my face. "Do you know how worried I was? Your mom called the house last night about a half hour after you left asking if you were still there. When I told her no, she said you hadn't come home yet." His thumbs ran over my cheekbones as he continued. "I was so worried. I thought you had gotten in a car crash..."

I tried to keep my breathing steady while I responded. "I know, and I am so, so, so sorry. I guess I was still a little sick." I mumbled, but I knew he had heard me.

"Never do that again. Promise me."

"I promise you, Jake."

And we were back in the situation again. He was so close, and I was so hoping. His eyes bore into mine, but not in a bad way. The scorching heat that radiated off his body warmed mine better than any drink, or any artificial heater. I stared up at him, unable to look away, and this time, I knew it would happen. This time, we would kiss. He was almost there. I closed my eyes and braced myself for what I knew would be the best kiss I've ever had. Not that I had anything to compare it to.

The curtain was yanked back again and Jake backed away, taking several steps to reveal Dr. Cullen. He smiled at me, noticed Jake and apologized. He checked my vitals quickly and left again. But I knew the moment was once again gone. Jake and I had almost kissed - once again - and we were interrupted.

"Piper?"

I looked up at him once Dr. Cullen was gone. "Jake, I was so scared." I admitted, only now realizing that there was no use in hiding anything from Jake.

"I know, but I'm right here. It's all over now." He soothed, and he was holding me again, while tears leaked from my eyes.

"But, Jake, what if he comes back? He said I would learn his name later on." I continued to admit.

We stared at each other, both of us confused, and after a moment, got over it and we fell into old habits. We started talking and goofing around, acting like friends. Careful not to strain my stitches and Jake helped me walk around for a while, stretching my legs. But if I was going to walk around and not be stationary, I had to bring my IV and the blood bag. So while we walked, I supported myself on the pole that the bags were hooked up to.

"Hey, tired of walking?" Jake asked, gesturing to a wheelchair that was abandoned in the hall we were currently in.

"Yeah, I could be. If you're going to push me." I teased, sitting down in the wheelchair without letting go of the pole.

Jake graciously wheeled be around and pushed me back the way we came, saying something about probably getting me back to the room before someone came looking for me and I wasn't there causing a panic. No doubt my mother would think red eyes was back for me. So I let him bring me back in the wheelchair.

I didn't mind that it was a little odd how fast Jake was wheeling me back, but he was worried about me, obviously. I was okay with that, I mean why wouldn't I be. It was Jake, and I was comfortable around him, more so than I had been when we'd first met. I guess time does that to people. But what did worry me was that Jake was a little twitchy, he watched everyone that passed.

A howl pierced through the air as we made it back to my bed and Jake stopped. "Jake? What's wrong?" I asked, standing up and moving back towards the bed but he was already running away from me, and disappearing into the crowd of people just outside the curtain. "Jake!" I called, but he was already gone. Just disappearing into the crowd of people.

I eased myself onto the bed, frustrated beyond belief that Jake had just left like that, just gone... Just ditched me. What on earth was so important that he had to run through a hospital crowd, for gods sake.

* * *

There was something hitting the window in the room that I had been given to rest until I was able to go home. But it was rain, of course. The pause of the inevitable rain falling upon the small town of Forks had ceased, and the rain fell against my window, slowly but evenly. I couldn't sleep, so I got up and pulled on a light sweater over my hospital gown.

As quietly as possible, I walked through the halls with the IV and blood bag and made my way to the front door. I leaned against the side of the building and breathed in the musty air that came with the rain and with the forest. It had always been a smell that I always associated with home, one that I would actively try to find. Whether it be sitting outside in the rain, or sitting outside afterwards.

"What are you doing?" I turned towards the voice, and it was Jake. Standing in the rain, his shorts soaked, and without a shirt. Hell, _that_ was a distraction.

"Breathing in the air." I explained, and he stared at me. "I couldn't sleep."

"Would you like to go out when you get out of here?" He asked.

"And where would we go?"

"It's a surprise." He said, and I raised an eyebrow.

"So, like a date?" I wondered aloud.

"Only if you want it to be, Pipes." I bit the inside of my lip, thinking it over.

"Alright, I'll go. But as long as it isn't a date." I informed him, turning towards the door. And as my hand touched to door knob, he spoke once more.

"I'll pick you up at eight, and wear a jacket." He told me, and without another word, I went back inside. So, an outing with Jake? This should be interesting. I laughed to myself as I got into the elevator to go back up to my floor, at Jake setting up a candlelit picnic in a meadow. Or even us sitting together at an italian restaurant, with someone playing violin in the background. I laughed again.


	11. Not Dating

I was released a couple of days later. My stitches were well on their way to healing completely over, and Dr. Cullen decided that staying in the hospital wouldn't do my stitches any good, so why bother staying? Was I ever grateful for that. I hated hospitals.

My mother drove me home, and I stood in front of my mirror and lifted my shirt to look at what was going to be a scar. There was the spot where the stick had gotten me, then there was the spot where red eyes had bitten me. All around it were dark, purpling bruises. I had taken to calling him that because I still didn't know his name. And I was sure he was going to be coming back. I didn't know how soon he would be, but I know he would be. He had said that I would learn his name and I haven't.

He had to be coming back. I could feel it in my gut, it was almost like growing anticipation. But different.

I flopped back onto my bed and grabbed my phone, dialling Jake's number. A number that had been called frequently. I would talk to Jake late into the night to keep my mind from wandering to the thought of red eyes coming back for me. It had been the frequent cause of the nightmares that plagued my every sleeping moment. Jake had offered to stay in the hospital with me, but I had declined because I knew he didn't like hospitals. Reasonable, I didn't either.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Jake."

"Oh, Piper. What's up?"

"Dr. Cullen released me today!" I told him happily, rubbing my hand over my scar absent-mindedly.

"That's great! I'll pick you up at eight, all right?"

"Yeah. I'll see you then." And he was gone.

* * *

So let's just say that by six thirty, I was officially freaking the flip out. I was, honestly, on the brink of a panic attack. I jumped into the shower and was maybe a little extensive. I washed my hair three times, and same with the conditioner. I dried myself off, careful around the bruising and headed to my room, where I had layed out an outfit. Suddenly, looking at it now, I hated it. As I stood in my bra and underwear, I stared at my choice. Nope, it just wouldn't do. I had to change it, but to what?

"Piper! Jacob is here to pick you up!" My mother called up the stairs. I froze. What? He wasn't supposed to be here till eight. I looked at my clock on my bedside table, it was seven fifty-five.

"I'll be down in a minute!" I yelled. I pulled on the outfit that I had chosen. A pair of blue jeans with slight rips down the front, and a light pink t-shirt. I pulled a beige leather jacket over my shirt, pulled my hair up into a ponytail as I slipped on a pair of black trainers. I ran down the stairs and found Jake leaning against the door frame of the front door. Yup, still distractingly attractive. "Hey," I muttered to him as I reached him.

He smiled brightly at me, "Hey. You ready to go?" He asked and I nodded, slipping my phone into my back pocket.

"I'm leaving now, mom!" I called to her, unsure of where she was before heading out the door. "Oh!" I exclaimed to myself as I darted back to the house and grabbed the spare key. I ran back to Jake's car, and slipped in the passenger seat. "I forgot a key..." I muttered, blushing lightly at the smirk and raised eyebrow. "Shut up!"

He laughed. "I didn't say anything!" He argued, but I fixed him with a look and he backed out of the drive.

The journey was spent with another light-hearted argument, this time over whether or not the presence of stuffed animals on a sixteen year olds bed was normal. I thought it was. He thought it wasn't. But I mean, come on, do you really think that there aren't a few things in the world that you just can't let go of? Most of those things were stuffed animals, for me, a blanket or two and even the house I grew up in. It wasn't far from Charlie's actually, and if I got the chance, I would drive by it whenever I was headed back to Charlie's.

Jake pulled up to parking lot where there weren't a lot of cars, but in the distance, I could hear laughter and voices once I was out of the car. Jake was by my side almost instantly, and I smiled up at him, and he gave me a bright smile in return. His spirits seemed to be quite high, and I briefly considered the fact that I was the reason but quickly dismissed it. That couldn't be it.

"Come on, this way." He lead me towards the beach, and if I looked carefully down the sand, I could see a bunch of people and a huge bonfire. The only sound from this far was the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks and the shore.

"Is that where we're going?" I asked Jake, motioning towards the fire.

"Only if you want to." He said, face falling slightly.

"Of course I want to. It seems like the perfect place for our non-date." I said with a smile and walked next to him, itching to get closer. We were halfway towards them when several people turned and looked at us. They all had the same basic features as Jake. Black hair, dark eyes, tanned skin. I almost matched. One boy, who looked younger than most of them, came running up to us as we walked. Well, it was more of a fast jog than a run.

He smiled brightly when he saw me. As if he already knew me. "Hey Jake!" He said.

"Hi, Seth." Jake replied, smiling at the kid as if it was his younger brother. But he wasn't, I knew that. Jake only had older sisters. Seth's eyes flicked over to mine for only a second, but I knew Jake had got the message. "This is Piper. She's Charlie's, sister's daughter." Seth paused for a moment, his features showing he was trying to work that out. Then he smiled and held his hand out to mine. I shook it.

"Seth." He said.

"Nice to meet you, Seth." I say with a smile.

Jake leads me over to the big group next, and sat me on a log, where he planted himself right next to me. I leaned into him, seeking his warmth as my leather jacket did little to repel the cold air. Soon, I realized that I was essentially in a big group of teenage boys and a few of their girlfriends. So, Jake got pulled away from me not long after we sat down, a boy whom he called Embry, had stolen something from his pocket, so Jake, of course being the boy he is, ran after him across the beach.

A woman took up Jake's spot. She was really beautiful, but three long scars marred her face, but she acted as though it didn't matter. "Hi, I'm Emily." She said smiling.

"Piper." I told her, returning her smile.

"I'm Sam's wife, and I mostly take care of all the boys." She told me, pointing to the oldest of the group. He may have been older, but he certainly didn't act it. He acted as much of a teenager as the other boys did.

"All of them?" I asked, shocked. She nodded. "That must me really, really hard."

"You get used to it." She agreed. "So you're Jacob's girlfriend?" She asked and I shook my head.

"No, definitely not. Just a friend. There was a, er, incident with my one friend back home and he had killed himself. I hadn't had a friend since, till Jake of course, and so I agreed when he invited me out." I told her, aware that I had just rambled on about Simon.

"Oh, I see."

"Besides, I don't even think he likes me that way..." I added.

She smirked. "I'm almost one hundred percent certain that you are wrong."

I shook my head. "No. Just friends, Jake and I... Just friends." I'll admit, that last one sounded a little dejected, so I added a smile.

Emily left and I was alone. Jake didn't like me that way. I knew it. But then there was another body next to mine. I looked over at the body of a boy, a teenage boy, who looked around the same age as Jake. His hair was curlier though, a mess of black curls atop his head instead of Jake's close cropped hair.

"Quil," he said, smiling at me, again like he already knew me. It was weird how everyone was doing that.

"Piper." I answered, returning his smile.

"I know. You're Jake's girlfriend?" He asked and I once again shook my head.

"Just a friend, everyone keeps saying that." I told him.

Quil shrugged. "Given how Jake feels about you, everyone assumed. And, given that you obviously like him back..." His sentence trailed off. Why did everyone think I was his girlfriend? I mean, yeah, sure, I liked Jake, like, a lot. But still. And, wait-

"What do you mean, 'given that you obviously like him back...'? Am I acting like I do?" I asked, worry creeping into my voice. I'm just Jake's friend, sure, a friend who has almost kissed him a couple times and hasn't, but I'm supposed to be acting like his friend. This isn't a date.

"Yeah, you are. But, that's none of my business, is it?" He said, and I shifted on the log to get comfortable again. Quil stood to leave, and I sat there, then realized that since I didn't know when Jake was coming back, I might as well play some games on my phone while I waited. I didn't want to seem too lonely. But when I reached my hand to my back pocket, it was gone. I checked my other pocket, then my jacket pockets and even my bra, coming up empty. I quickly looked around and there, a little ways away from me, was Quil, holding my phone in his hands tauntingly.

I was off the log and after him before either of us could even process it. But he realized later than I did, and just before I was within lunging distance, he turned and ran. He was a lot faster than I was, but he was chuckling, and trying to dodge moving people. That was easy for me, I'd spent a lot of time at school dodging moving people. So soon I was within lunging distance again. And lunge I did.

We toppled to the ground in a messy heap and I groaned. The phone was just out of his reach, and even farther from mine. So I rolled over him and snatched it, rolling again to my feet and brushing myself off. Then I turned to Quil, who was still groaning. "And there you go, Quil. That should teach you not to mess with a teenage girls cell phone." I said and stalked back to my seat, and easy blush coming to my cheeks as everyone stared. I sat and hoped Jake would be back soon. I rubbed my side, hoping the stitches didn't bust open.

"That was quite the show you and Quil put on." I whipped around and saw Jake's smiling face, beaming down at me. I relaxed instantly. Oh thank god.

"Well he stole my phone." I argued as he sat down.

"I'm not arguing. I'm happy to see you do it. He deserved it." Jake said with a laugh.

Hopefully this will go better than so far.


	12. Surprising

The engine of Jake's car died slowly as he took the key out of the ignition when we'd finally reached Charlie's. He came around and opened my door for me, and I smiled at him, then he took my hand and helped me up, easing me up slowly, careful of the stitches I was sure would burst if I strained myself now. "Thanks." I muttered to him, shutting the door of the car behind me.

"No problem, wouldn't want you back in the hospital." He teased, helping me up the stairs. It was getting late, darkness having fallen and the only light was from the moon and Charlie's porch light, which bathed us both in yellow light. "Hey, you alright?"

I leaned on the side of the house once we'd reached the top of the steps and caught my breath. I didn't think that it would have taken that much effort just to get up a set of stairs. And there weren't even that many. "Just... Give me a second, Jake." I told him, placing a hand on my side, resting my head back against the white siding.

"You good?" Jake asked and I nodded, lowering my head and opening my eyes slowly.

"Yeah, I'm good." I let a breath out through my lips and lifted my shirt to check the bandages. Well, there's no blood, so that's good. "Well, no blood on the bandages, so none of them split. Dr. Cullen will be pissed that I 'strained my stitches' even though he told me not to. I mean, they didn't break..." I cursed.

"You don't have to tell him." Jake offered.

"I know. But he's my doctor, I should still tell him. There might be some internal bleeding or something." I said and shrugged, "I mean, there probably won't be, but just in case, you know."

Jake had a conflicted look on his face. Like he wanted to do something, but some part of him was holding back, thinking it wasn't a good idea. I took a deep breath and opened my mouth to ask Jake what was wrong, when a howl pierced through the air. There had to be wolves in these forests. Must be why Jake didn't want me alone in them. I could get seriously hurt by one of them. Not that I had the best luck with not getting hurt either way...

I turned to make a joke at Jake about it, but he wasn't on the porch. He was sprinting into the woods. Just like last time... Why did he keep doing that? Running away? Add that with looking conflicted, and almost kissing me and always being there when I needed him, or when I didn't even want to see him at all... Something weird was going on here. Tomorrow, I would go see Bella. She'd wanted to see me when I got released from the hospital, so I'll go see her. Maybe whatever she'd needed to tell me would explain all of this weird stuff.

I trudged up the stairs, purposefully dragging my feet, feeling kind of sad that Jake kept running away from me. I stripped off my shirt and jacket, gathering the dressings from the bathroom and going back to my room where I started to change the bandages. The last piece of tape was just going on when I heard something hit my window, not big enough to break it. I ignored it, probably just a branch. But there it was again. I got up off my bed after securing the tape and crossed to the window, where I looked out onto the front lawn. Down on the grass, wearing only a pair of beige shorts, was Jake. Seriously. He had no shirt. He had to stop doing that, it was messing with me really badly.

Opening the window, I leaned out and looked down at him quizzically. This better not be my imagination. "Jake? What are you doing?"

"Back up!" He called. I did as he said and before I knew it, Jake was pulling himself into my room through the window. I stared at him, and only when I noticed him looking me up and down did I remember that I hadn't put a shirt back on. Oh god.

Then he was there, holding my head and leaning down to - finally - press his lips against mine. It was only a second that I was frozen, then I was kissing him back, my arms moving around his neck and twining my fingers into his hair. His arms moved from my head to my waist, his hands pulling me flush against his warm body.

I hadn't even realized we'd moved till we were toppling backwards onto my bed. I sucked in as much air as possible, then he was back. I didn't mind. If I was being completely honest, I'd been dreaming about this for so long. Really though, I'd dreamed about this moment since I'd met Jake. Not that I wanted the dreams before, but when I started liking Jake more and more, I so wanted the dreams. Craved them even.

His lips moved from mine down my jaw to my neck and I leaned my head back, stretching my neck out. "I should leave the window open more often." I said all in one breath and he stopped, laughing, warm breath washing over my neck. He moved so his face was hovering over mine and I smiled.

"I meant to do that earlier," he explained and I just stretched up and kissed him.

When we broke apart, we shifted around till he was laying on his back and I was laying next to him with my head on his chest. "Yeah, definitely leaving the window open." I said and felt him laugh.

"I like that plan." He said and stroked my hair. Soon, I was falling asleep.

* * *

It was later than usual when I woke up. I sat up and rubbed my eyes, only to have a pair of warm, more like scolding, arms wrap around my waist which was still bare. One hand rubbed over the bandages and I hissed when the fingers brushed over a soft spot. Silly Jake. But the fingers didn't stop. Once they found that spot, the pressed down harder. "Ow, Jake, hurts." I complained, and fully expecting him to finally stop.

What I didn't expect was for the arms to go cold and for me to get pushed back on the bed. I struggled, but there was still a hand over my healing wound and it hurt. So I didn't even realize that I'd closed my eyes, till I was being commanded to open them, to look at him.

So I opened my eyes and the face I saw above me was not Jake's. It was Red-Eyes. And I won't deny that I screamed as loud as I could. I screamed till my throat hurt. But no one came, and I knew what this meant. It meant that it was finally the time he had spoken of. He'd finally come back to get me.

A hand clamped over my mouth as I opened it to scream again. My throat may burn, but someone would hear. A neighbour, someone. It was worth the pain if someone came to my rescue. Maybe Bella would come and rescue me again!

"Tsk, tsk, my dear, Piper. No screaming." Red-Eyes announced and I felt hot tears roll down my cheeks.

Then the hand was gone, and so was the weight of the monster above me. I turned and sat up quickly. The wolf, the giant one I'd seen, was in my room, and there was something horribly familiar about it. Red-Eyes was standing, and the wolf was crouched in a defensive position facing him.

They charged at each other, and there was no way that there was enough room for them to have a full fight, given the size of the wolf, but they seemed to be doing an okay job. And the wolf seemed to be doing a good job of protecting me, which I assume is what it's doing. Then Red-Eyes landed a bite on the wolf's side and it fell, changing slowly. Red-eyes jumped out the window and I looked back at the wolf.

But there was no wolf. It was Jake, lying on the floor, his side bleeding from a large bite mark. "Jake!" I screamed and ran to him, holding his head in my lap. "No, Jake, hold on. You can do it, Jake." I mumbled and screamed for help. I looked back down at him and started to stroke his hair off his face. "C'mon, you can do it. Don't leave me Jake." I mumbled, continuing to talk to him, getting him to be calm till someone called an ambulance and they saved him. I couldn't let him go. I just couldn't.

"Piper..." He moaned and I felt new tears go down the tracks left by the old ones.

"No, Jake, please don't leave me now." I said, and sniffled, continuing to stroke his hair. He smiled at me and then his expression faded slowly and his eyes stared at nothing. "Jake!" I screamed.

I sat bolt upright, panting heavily, my hands balled into fists around the comforter and it took me a minute to realize I was in my bed. I was in my bed, it was a dream. Red-Eyes didn't find me, and Jake didn't die in my arms. There was no wolf that turned into Jake and I didn't watch the life leave Jake's eyes. Everything is fine. It's alright. Jake is alive, and not a wolf. It was still the middle of the night, light was barely starting to appear on the distant horizon.

"Piper, are you alright?" Warm hands rubbed my shoulders and I sniffled. I turned back and looked at Jake, and I saw the wolf behind my eyes. It was a dream. Jake isn't a wolf. "Piper? Please say something."

"It was a dream." Was all I could manage.

"You were screaming. You screamed my name." He told me and I turned completely to face him and sniffled again. He opened his arms and I fell into him.

"It was a dream." I repeated. "Red-Eyes came back for me. Then this wolf charger him. The wolf was huge, and they fought. Then Red-Eyes bit the wolf and-and it fell. Red-Eyes jumped out the window and when I looked back at the wolf, it was you, Jake." I looked up at him, eyes shining with tears. "The wolf turned into you and you died. You died right in my arms. I watched the life leave your eyes." I sniffled again and felt the tears roll down my cheeks. "I thought it was real."

He shushed me and held me closer. "It wasn't real, Piper. I'm right here. And I'm not going anywhere anytime soon." He told me and lifted my head up to look at him. "I am right here, alive, because Red-Eyes didn't come back for you, okay?" I nodded and he kissed me sweetly. That calmed me down.

Jake continued to shush me, and coaxed me into laying back down in his warmth, and finally, falling into a dreamless sleep.


	13. Learning

When I woke up for real, I knew that Jake had no left by the cold feeling of my bed that was such a stark difference for Jake's scorching body heat, and the plenty of room I had to roll around, which definitely did not do.

I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling, thinking of Jake. His hair that seemed to fall perfectly over his head, and be that was the silkiest jet black I had ever had the pleasure of running my hands through. His skin that was smooth and copper toned that never seemed to change. The tattoo on his shoulder he would never explain. There was no doubt in my mind that this changed everything between us, that this would change our relationship to something we can never come back from. Not that I wanted to go back.

The smell of food, more specifically waffles, brought me from my bed. I grabbed the first sweater that my hand felt and pulled it on. Just because it happened to be one that Simon gave me all that time ago, doesn't mean that I won't wear it. It was big, and maroon and soft and cozy and my favourite sweater. Not that I wore. It often enough to classify it as that, but it wasn't his anymore either.

In the kitchen, I found a plate of three waffles stacked up. "Would you like a waffle, darling?" My mother asked me, and I simply nodded, still not awake enough to speak. I sat down heavily on one of the chairs and dug in when my mother placed the waffle in front of me.

I took my knife and cut down down the middle of the waffle, dividing it into quarters, then stacked the triangles in two piles and set the knife down, pouring a pool of real canadian maple syrup onto the plate, then grabbing one of the triangles and dipping it in the syrup, then bringing it to my mouth.

After finishing only two pieces, I was dimly aware of a knock on the front door and my mother going to answer it. It wasn't till my mother said, "Would you like a waffle, Jacob?" That I realized the warm body next to me. I looked up at Jake with a sleepy smile, and he smiled back before I turned back to my food.

"I'll have one." He answered. Which then caused me to hit him.

"Don't be silly, Jake, I know how you eat. He'll have two." I said, rubbing my eyes as I took another bite of my waffle. A plate was sat in front of him with two waffles on it and I smiled, pushing the syrup over to him.

"What is this?" He asked, looking at the bottle.

"Real Canadian Maple Syrup. The best kind." I told him. "Use it. It's better."

He gave me a skeptical look but poured the syrup over the waffles and I watched him as he took the first bite. He chewed slowly and I looked at him expectantly. He swallowed. "You're right, it is better." I smiled brightly and finished off my waffle, then cleaned the excess syrup off the plate with my finger and licked it off. I could feel Jake's eyes on me as I did so, and I could feel a slight heat in my cheeks from a blush I hope wasn't obvious. I discreetly nudged him under the table.

The weight of his eyes on me lifted and I smiled a little to myself, then stood and placed my plate in the sink and lifted myself up onto the counter. I could see Jake itching to move, fidgeting in his seat and eating a little faster. When he finished, he was quick to dump his plate into the sink and stand next to me.

"Who did this belong to?" He asked, gesturing to the sweater.

"It was Simon's. But it hasn't been his since he lent it to me. It's mine now." I told him. I smiled softly at him and when I looked up I realized we were alone. Uncle Charlie and my mother had left the room at some point.

He kissed me softly and I was quick to reciprocate it. My hands twisted into his hair that I had been thinking about not too long ago.

I had to see Bella today, so I pulled away and hopped off the counter. "I would love to continue that, but I have somewhere it be. Stop looking at me like that, I'm overdo on a promise." I explained, kissing him quickly one last time before dancing away and up the stairs. In my room, I pulled on a pair of blue jeans, a soft pink tee and a black velvet jacket that had these cool folds and hung open.

There was a knock on the door and I turned around to see Jake watching me from his spot leaning against the doorframe. "Hey." I said and he just smiled.

"Where you headed?" He asked.

"Just to go see Bella. She had asked me to go see her when I left the hospital and I didn't so, I should go see her today." I told him and he nodded, his smile falling slightly. He clearly didn't like the idea of me going to see her.

"Hey, it's alright. It isn't like I will be there all day, and if I am, there is plenty of time for me to hang out with you tomorrow or even the day after, of the day after that. I have plenty of time." I waltzed over and stood up on my toes, kissing him and allowing my eyes to flutter shut. Jake's arms went around me and lifted me so my toes were just brushing the floor and my arms went around his neck, pulling myself closer to him.

Bella will be expecting you... A little voice nagged and I tried to push it away, live in this moment with Jake just for a while, but that voice got more and more insistent and I finally had to pull myself away from him and lower myself back down onto my socked feet. "Stop distracting me," I chastised.

"May I point out that you kissed me?" He said and I narrowed my eyes and walked past him.

"No you may not." I answered and slid down the banister, then pulled on a pair of black boots and barely stopped myself from leaning back into the warmth that was Jake when he wrapped his arms around me once I straightened out. "Jake," I whined, "stop distracting me!" I protested, pushing him away.

"Sorry." He said.

"It's alright. I'll see you later, yeah?" I smiled and grabbed my keys, pulling out of the driveway before him and heading in the direction that I remember Bella's house was in. I'd been there all of once, and that was when Sean had gone on vacation and Mom and I had visited and had dinner with Bella and Edward while the rest of their family was out.

The house was just as grand as I remember, and it was there that I sat gawking in the car that we had rented. Then I stole myself and opened the door. I walked the path to the door and knocked on the grand door.

Dr. Cullen answered the door and I should have known that the two were connected. "Hi Doctor Cullen." I greeted.

"Hello, Piper, how are your stitches doing?" He asked.

"Good." I answered, not telling him that I may have almost ripped them.

"Come in, Bella has been expecting you." Well that's kind of cryptic.

I followed him inside to the living room and sat down in one of the chairs and I was tempted to just curl up in it, it was so comfortable.

"Piper!" Bella exclaimed and leaned down to hug me when she came into the room. "We weren't expecting you today! Why didn't you call?" She asked and when she leaned back, her eyes were golden.

"I knew they were golden!" I exclaimed loudly. "Why are they golden?"

"Well, that's what you're here to find out. Just, listen to the whole story before you say anything?" She asked and I nodded, agreeing silently.

So they told me.


End file.
